Director

Vicki Linich

Vicki Linich has been singing all her life, and she loves a cappella choral singing best of all. Ms. Linich earned a master’s degree in Vocal Pedagogy and Diction from Northern Illinois University and a bachelor’s degree in Music from SUNY Potsdam. She founded the Batavia Area Summer Chorus, where she was Artistic Director from 2012-2014, and has served as the Music Director at the Congregational Church of Batavia since 2007. As a mezzo-soprano, Ms. Linich enjoys singing an eclectic variety of music, but she has a soft spot for sacred music. Favorite solo works include Vivaldi’s “Gloria,” Bach’s “Mass in B Minor,” and Dvorak’s “Mass in D Major.”

With over 20 years of experience teaching voice and piano, Ms. Linich has worked with students of all ages, training them to best express the music which interests them the most. She loves to share the art of singing with everyone, and firmly believes that anyone can learn to sing.

Director Emeritus: Dennis Smith

Dennis Smith

With well over 20 years experience as a church choral conductor and singer, Mr. Smith led Acappellago into its sixteenth season as a founding member and the Music Director of Acappellago.

He also enjoys presenting the works of contemporary composers and Acappellago has given the world premieres of new music from Robert Convery, Beth Anderson Harold, Robert Applebaum, Matthew Orlovich and Edie Hill as well as the Chicago area premieres of new music from Sean Doherty, Andrew Smith and Dale Trumbore.

Mr. Smith began his musical studies at the age of 4 on the accordion and switched to the Clarinet at the age of 8. He has studied Clarinet with Robert Marcellus, Larry Combs, Clark Brody and John Bruce Yeh and is a graduate of the DePaul University School of Music. Mr. Smith has been a featured soloist with the Salt Creek Sinfonietta and Wheaton Symphony Orchestra and frequently has been found playing his bass clarinet in a variety of orchestras in the Chicago area.

Mr. Smith is the coordinator of a recital series featuring the music of women composers, in which he also performs. As a clarinetist, his great love is presenting 20th century chamber works unknown to the public in recital and has given a number of Chicago area premieres.

Mr. Smith’s career as a choral conductor began in 1985 with a 13 year stint as the director of the adult choir of Bethel Reformed Church in Chicago. In 1994, he took over some conducting responsibilities as the “unofficial” assistant conductor of the Downers Grove Choral Society and had conducted their chamber choir in several programs. He has also sung with the Rockefeller Memorial Chapel Choir at the University of Chicago and can be found on their CD featuring songs of exultation and lamentations. From 2002 until 2005, Mr. Smith was the Music Director of the First Congregational Church of Lockport leading the Chancel Choir and the Pilgrim Handbell Choir and, since August 2006, has been serving as Music Director of Community Congregational Church of Villa Park.

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